Kiln for and method of burning clay



(NoModel.)

J. STUBBS.

KILN NoN AND MNTHONYOF BURNING CLAY.

N0. 338,206. atented Mar. 16, 1886.

l ad 5 4 Oa//l I f 6 N e' I w WITJVESSES e f LNVENTR J1 ttorney UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JESSE STUBBS, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO NELSON A. GRAY AND CARL L. MAHRENHOLZ, BOTH OE RED OAK, IOW'A.

KILN FOR AND METHOD OF BURNING CLAY.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 338,206, dated March 16, 1886.

Serial No. 172,699. (No model.)

T all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J EssE STUBBs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county of Henry and State of Iowa,

have invented a new and useful improvement in kilns for burning irregular conglomerate' masses of clay into suitable material to be broken up for ballast, paving material, roadbeds, and such like purposes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a kiln built on the ground in open air,which may be constructed mostly or entirely of the clay required to be burned and the fuel used for burning it.

I am aware that clay has been burned for such uses in open air by first starting a coal ire on the ground and forming on it a heap of alternate layers of clay and coal while burning, which maybe enlarged by raking out from the burning mass an enlarged foundation, and in like manner building upon said extension, which subjects the workmen engaged to frequent contacts with the escaping smoke and gas therefrom, which is a source of great hinderanoe to their work and requires a great sacrifice of their comfort. Said method also necessitates much stirring of the mass from the top while burning to give proper ventilation, which exposes the operators to dense fumes of smoke and gas, greatly to the detriment of their health and comfort, and owl ing to the manner of thus burning by patches in detail, a less intensity of heat is produced in proportion to the amount of fuelk used than if simultaneous combustion of the wholeV mass were obtained,which also requires a greater length of time in burning and is liable to very imperfect action.

I am also aware that kilns for burningsuch material have been constructed in open air by digging trenches or sub furnaces or nues in the ground at close intervals from each other, both lengthwise and transversely of said kilns, and that arches forming underlying furnaces or iiues above ground,similarly planned,have been made, all having their outer ends open, as a means of firing and Ventilating the kiln while burning. The superstructure of said kilns consists of alternate layers of fuel and 5o lumps of dried clay, having the particles of fine or pulverized dirt excluded by sifting it out,which is necessary to secure draft through the irregular openings formed between said chunks of dirt while burning, as no other proyision is made to secure an upward draft or intercommunication between the different layers or strata of fuel. Said preliminary preparation of the clay requires much labor and is liable to great loss by rains and other casualties whiledrying, causing it to crumble and 6o thereby become partially or entirely useless for the intended object. Great care is also required in handling said lumps of dried clay to prevent them from being pulverized in the construction of a kiln, which renders said kilns and the process of their formation objectionable. They are further objectionable in having no means provided for manipulating or controlling the draft currents through the kiln while burning, which makes them liable 7o to veryimperfect burning,and therefore great loss as a consequence. A still further objection to said kilns is that there is no provision for closing the month or outer ends of their rlues or furnaces against heavy winds entering them,which tends to drive the heat of the kiln i to the leeward, and thereby also causes defective burning on the Windward side.

The object of my invention is to provide a means of burning clay in irregular conglom- 8o erate masses, without any preliminary preparation further than excavating and conveying it to the kiln,at one simultaneous heatthroughout the kiln or heap, and of controlling the heat during the burning process after the con-` S5- struction of the same shall have been completed, requiring but little attention while burning, and which will not czgpose the at tendant-s to the fumes of smoke and escaping-1*` gas, thereby expediting the burning process 9oand utilizing the time of hands and laborto better advantage than by methods now known.

My invention consists in providing a kiln, constructed on the ground in open air convenient to the supply of material to be burned, having a series ot' horizontal heating-furnaces arranged at right angles with and crossingv each other, and also intermediate Ventilatingues, all underlying the superstructure of the kiln, which consists of alternate layers of rco fuel-such as coal-slack or like substances-- and clay, and being provided also with vertical draft-fines passing upward through said heap, which fines are constructed while building the kiln, and are made to connect at their lower ends with openings in the furnaces and underlying Ventilating-fines, and also caps or shutters for closing a requisite number of both the furnace mouths or openings below and the tops'of chimneys or the vertical flues, for the purpose of controlling or shifting the draft to such parts as may require greater heat while vburning a kiln.

I will proceed to further describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this specification, of which- Figure l is a perspective of part of a kiln formed for burning. It, however, is represented as having its farther end taken away and its near corner of superstructure removed, for convenience in showing the arrangement of fluesf furnaces, and the layers of coal and clay. Fig. 2 is aV plan of a section embracing four consecutive intermediate squares or sections of furnaces and Ventilating-fines as being detached. Fig. 3 is a plan of' atransverse section of one of the vertical draft or smoke iiues, and Fig. l'is a perspective of one of the caps or shutters Vfor closing the outer openings of furnaces and fines.

In the further description by illustration similar letters of reference will indicate like parts in the differents figures, of which- A are the main heating-furnaces, which may be constructed of kneaded clay, either molded in regular form or may be rudely built without molding, and may, if desirable, have wood and kindling properly arranged within them for starting the lire, serving' also as a means of support to the green arches before drying. It will be observed that said fu rnaces are arranged in different series at right angles with and crossing each other, and at their respective crossings they inter.)l oin. They are provided with openings e over their crossings, f'rom which are built vertical draft or smoke fines e, which are for giving proper draft to the fire and for carrying off the smoke and steam from the drying clay. Said furnaces are also provided with smaller openings S, which are arranged at close intervals, either in their sides or apex, as a means of communicating fire from within them to the bed of fuel outside of them, and underlying the general mass of clay, as well as also to Vgive passage for the smoke from said underlying bed of fuel.

a are Ventilating-nues of much smaller dimensions than the furnaces above named, but may be constructed of same material and in -similar manner, and arranged at various angles, having branch connections with the furnaces A, as well as through the outer walls of' the kiln. They also interjoin each other at their crossings, and at their general intersections are provided also with upward openings e and vertical draft-flues e, for same purpose as above described. Said fiues a are also provided with intermediate or small openings, S, arranged along them at close intervals, for same purposes assigned for the openings S in the furnaces A. Said furnaces A and Ventilating-fines a may be left erected after first burning as a foundation for subsequent kilns, or taken for ballast, and new ones erected for subsequent use, as may be desired.

B is the lower and main layer of fuel, which may consist of coal-slack or other like cheap material, as may be most convenient or available, which may also be partially saturated with some highly-inflammable material-eas some of the inflammable oilsto hasten its ignition when fired.

Z) arc intermediate and final layers of like fuel placed between the different layers of clay and on top of the upper one.

C are said layers of c1ay,which are shoveled or may be wheeled or carted in without any particular preparation. The layers B and b ofl fuel and C of clay, respectively, extend over the whole area of the kiln (outer Walls excepted.) 'lhey will, however, be diminished in size as their height increases, as a means of forming batter-walls of the sides, which walls consist of a thin layer of kneaded clay.

c are chunks of kneaded clay, which may be molded or otherwise suitably shaped,which are laid,as shown at Fig. 3, in successive layers one upon another as the height of material increases in the construction of the kiln, thereby forming vertical draft and smoke fines around the temporary wooden box -flues e, which serve `in their stead after the wooden fines shall have burned out; or with proper care in construction the wooden dues e may be Ydispensed with, as they are intended only to serve as guides against which to lay the clay chunks c in building said fines.

It will be observed that the clay chunks c are laid so that an open space is left between them at their inner corners, which openings serve as passages for the entrance of smoke and steam into said fines throughout their entire length. Said chunks are held in place by means of' the fuel being placed in the angles formed by them,and by the layers of clay resting on and otherwise binding them, which is sufficient for the purpose after the fuel around them shall have burned away. Said flues, as before stated, are erected over and are connected with the openings e in the furnaces Aand at the general intersections of the flues a., and extend through the top of the kiln.

Metallic fue caps or shutters, Fig. 4, are provided for closing the mouths or outer open ends of the furnaces and flues, either at the base or on top of kiln, when necessary, as a means of regulating the draft by checking it at one or more places as a means of diverting its channel to other points requiring greater heat, which manipulation is effected by thus closing and opening the proper furnaces and fines, respectively, so as to throw a stronger current or draft through channels requiring IOO IIO

increased heat. They are also used on the Windward sides of a kiln to prevent too strong currents blowing through the furnaces.

Havingthus fully shown the construction of my improved kiln, so as to enable others to understand the same, it is operated by filling the underlying furnaces and flues with light nfiainmable fuel suitable for kindling, (if the same shall not have been done at a previous time,) and as nearly simultaneous as practical to fire or ignite all of said furnaces, which will cause a quick and produce an intensely-hot fire, sufficient for speedily burning the clay in the kiln to a very hard substance suitable for the purposes above named by breaking it into suitable pieces. If, however, it shouldfrom any event become necessary to continue the burning longer after the supply of fuel originally arranged shall have been exhausted, fresh supplies of suitable fuel may be put into the furnaces sufficient to prolong the burning any required length of time; and after the burning process-shall have been completed the kiln may be quickly cooled for handling the burned material by opening all of the furnaces and flues, so as to allow a free circulation of air through them. I

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination with the underlying fur- 3o naces and Ventilating flues having upward openings e of a clay-burning kiln having its superstructure composed of successive alternate layers of fuel and clay, the vertical fines or chimneys e, connecting by means of the 35 openings c with said horizontal underlying furnaces and flues, and also by lateral openings with the different layers of fuel, substantially as shown, for the purposes specified.

2. In combination with theunderlying fur-n4o JESSE STUBBS.

Vitnesses:

ROBT. S. GILLIS, E. S. HOWARD. 

